Apparatus for the manufacture of gas



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. M. GOSH.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS. No. 400,060. g Patented Mar. 26,1889.

"' Z a O N. PETERS, Phom-Lilhographer, Waahmgiun. me

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. M. GOSH.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFAGTURE OP GAS.

No. 400,060 Patented Mar. 26, 1889.

wit newer N. PETERS, Pholo mhognphur, WJshingion. n.'c.

(No'ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

' W. M. GOSH.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

No. 400,060. Patented Mar. 26, 1889.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAH M. GOSH, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

APPARATUS'FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,060, dated. March26, 1889. Application filed January 12, 1888. Serial No. 260,505. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM M. GOSH, of Baltimore, in the State ofMaryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus forthe Manufacture of Gas; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention is an apparatus for the manufacture of illuminating orheating gases. It is of that class in which hydrogen gas is produced bythe decomposition of steam in the presence of incandescent coal.

The invention consists in the special arrangement of generator andsuperheaterwith connecting pipes and valves and steam, air, andhydrocarbon pipes; and it consists, further, of a combination ofgenerator with duplicate superheaters, and a special arrangement ofconnecting-pipes, with their valves and with steam and air supply pipes,whereby various processes can be carried on, all as hereinafterexplained.

In connection with the apparatus, I have also hereinafternecessarilyexplained various methods of use by which improved results are obtained.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents, partly in sideelevation and partly in section,my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is aplanview of the same. Fig. 3 shows a rear elevation of the apparatus.

In these figures, A represents a generator provided with a cover, a, andadapted to re ceive a charge of coal. Below the grate M is a pipe, f, toadmit the air-blast, with a steamsupply, g, connected therewith, havinga stopcock, g. On each side of the generator is placed a chamber adaptedto act as a fixingchamber or as a superheater, one being marked B andthe other B; These are to be filled with pieces of brick or any suitablerefractory material through which the steam may freely pass and beheated in its passage. These superheaters have each a combustionchamber, h, in the base, with passages therefrom to the superheating andfixing chamber above, and with an air-supply pipe, 1', having a suitablevalve, 5, for regulating or cutting off the supply of air. Thesesuperheaters or fixing-chambers have suitable covers on the tops. Thecombustion-chambers underneath are connected by pipes O 0' directly witha space in the generator beneath the grate M, and these pipes areprovided with valves 0 c. From the pipes O 0 vertical pipes D D extendto branches E E, which connect them with the upper part of thegenerator. In the upper ends of the pipes D D are valves 1) b, by meansof which communication between the upper part of the generator and thecombustion-chambers of the superheaters can be obstructed, while thevalves 0 c serve to cut off connection between the lower part of thegenerator and the combustion-chambers. Another set of pipes connects theupper part of the superheaters and the generator with thepurifying-chambers W. Of these the pipes H H are exit-pipes from thesuperheaters. They extend from the upper parts of the superheaters andare turned to meet in a pipe, G, which is the exit from the generatorand extends down therefrom to the Wash-box, the entrance to thegenerator being shown at G. The pipes H and H have valves 62 and cl,respectively,bymeans of which communication may be shut off between theupper part of the superheaters or upper part of the generator and theWash-box. A valve, 6, in the upper extension of the pipe G, above itsjunction with the pipes H and H, closes this passage, when the valves dand d are open. In addition to the steam-supply pipe 9, there is asecond, k, and a third, 70, in the pipes H and II, respectively, and afourth, on, in the upper extension of the pipe G above the valve 6.These steam-pipes all have stop-cocks and suitable connections with asteam-generator. (Not shown.) In addition to these pipes is a pipe, m,entering the upper part of the pipe G, for supplying naphtha or otherliquid hydrocarbon.

The simple apparatus above described is capable of a variety of methodsof use, all

productive of valuable results by slight and easy manipulations.

Supposing the generator be charged with coal and the cover of thegenerator be secured in place, and the covers of the superheatersremoved, the valves b b are opened and the valves 0 and c and d cl and care closed, the valve of the blast-pipe f is opened, and the airadmitted at the bottom of the generator and to the combustion-chambers hand h. \Vhile this access of air is bringing the mass of coal in thegenerator to an incandescent condition, the carbonic oxide andunconsumed carbon in the products of combustion are carried through thepipes E E, D D, and (J to the comlmstion-cliamber 71. 7a where they meetan additional supply of air and undergo complete combustion, theproducts thereof passing through among the refractory contents of thestugerheaters. This brings the refractory material within thesuperheaters up to an intense heat. "When the coal within the generatorhas been brought to a state of tlmrough incandescence,the covers of thesuperhcaters it both are used) are secured in place, the air is out offat thebottom of the genmrator and superheater, the valves (1 d in theoutlet-pipe are opened, and steam is admitted at the bottom of thegenerator. This passes through the body of incandescent coal, and, byremoval of its oxygen, is converted into a hydrogen gas. If it bedesirable to manufacture illuminating-gas, naphtha or other hydrocarbonliquid maybe admitted to the top of the generator, the vapor of which istaken up by the hydrogen, and the whole passes through the pipes E E andtheir con nections to the bottom of the superheaters, through thesuperheaters, acting then as fixin g-chambers, and. thence to thewash-box or puritying-chamber.

The apparatus may be used in the way above described; but theconstruction of the apparatus adapted to give better results by anothermode of operation, by which the quality of the is improved and a largerquantity obtained from a given quantity of coal. For the n'oduetion ofthe hydrogen gas by the method just referred to, the coal in thegenerator is brought to a proper condition of lHPiIIHlOf- OOIKKF, asheretofore described. The blast from the pipe fis then shut otl'and thetop of the super-heaters secured in place. The valves 7/ l) d d areclosed. The valve 6 in the outlet-pipe from the generator and. thevalves 0 o in the coimeeting-pipes at the bottom of the generator areopened. Steam shut ollj' elsewhere then admitted to the top of thesupcrheaters ii 3' through the pipes 7a, and the steam passes throughthe intenselyheatcd refractory material contained in the superheatersand is brought thereby to a highly superheated and attenuated condition,and is then admitted through the pipes C G into the bottom of thegenerator. In this dry and heated state the steam is brought morereadily into contact with the heated coal and is more thoroughlydecmnposed. The hydro gen gas thus generated passes through the openingG into the pipe G and. thence directly down into the wash-box, and inits passage may be made to take up hydrocarbon vapor admitted throughthe pipe on. After this process has been continued for a time, thelength of which maybe determined by an op erator skilled in the art, thepoint for admitting the steam changed. The valves 7), D, and c areclosed. and the valves (Z d e w are opened and steam is admitted at thetop of the generator through the steampipc m. The steam thus broughtinto contact with a fresh surface of coal and passes downward throughthe mass oi? coal, being decomposed in its passage. The hydrogen gaspasses through the pipes C C up through the superhcaters and. by the wayof the oi'ltlet-pipcs to the wash-box. Thus the apparatus may be made tooperate in two ways in a single heat for the production of hydrocarbongas, or the direction of the current may be reversed in the manner abovedescribed as many times as may be desired, as after the supply of. coalhas been exhausted it may be renewed and brought to a proper comlition,as first dc scribed.

The apparatus is adapted also to another method of manufacturing gasmore especially applicable to the mz'mu'l'acture oi illuminating-gas.In. accordance with this method, after the requisite heat has beenobtained, as heretofore described, the valves 1), d, c, and c are closedand the valves b d are opmied. The steam is admitted at the top of thesu perheater B and passes down through the heated material therein andto the bottom ol? the generator through the comiecting-pipcs in asuperheated state. through the incandescent coal, and, by removal of itsoxygen, is converted into hydrogen Inthe top of the generator it meetshydrocarbon vapor from the liquid hydrocarbon introduced in any suitableand wellknown way, as through the pipe on, and the hydrogen, with thevapor taken up in the generator, passes to the bottom of the superheaterB, and in ascending through the highlyheated material therein itbecomesthoroughly mixed and fixed and thence passes through the outlet-pipe tothe wash-box, as above cxplained.

It is obvious that the direction. of the steam may be reversed in thismethod, and that it may be made to pass down through the coal and from13 to B.

I am aware that generators and superheaters ina variety ot' forms andwith a variety of arrangem cuts of pipes are old and well known, havingfor their object the production of gas by the same principle ofoperation, and I therefore limit my claims to the form and combinationas here shown.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination, a generator,A, provided witha grate, a, and with a steam and air pipe communicating with. saidgenerator beneath the grate thereof, and provided, also, with ahydrocarbon and steam supply pipe communicating with the upper part ofthe generator, a superheater or iixer having a combustion-chamber in itslower part provided with an air-pipe, a steantsupply pipe communicatingwith the upper part of the superheater or fixer, a pipe, 0, connectingsaid comlmstion-chamber with the space beneath the grate oi thegenerator and. provided with a It then passes up IIO valve, 0, a pipe, DE, having a valve and leading from the upper part of the generator intothe comlmstion-ehainber of the super-heater or fixer, and an exit-pipefor the superheater or fixer, the parts being constructed and arrangedto operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination, a generator, A, provided with a grate, a, and with asteanrand air supply pipe communicating with said generator below thegrate thereof, and provided, also, with a hydrocarbon-supply pipecommunicating with the top of the generator, snperheaters or fixers Band B, each having a steam-supply pipe eoi'uniunicating with its upperpart and a co'mbustionchamber in its lower part provided with anair-supply pipe, pipes G 0, connecting the combustion-chambers with thespace in the generator beneath the grate, valves in these pipes, pipes DE and D E, with their respective valves, connecting the top of thegenerator with the comb ustionchan1bers of the superheaters or fixers,respectively, and an exit-pipe from each of the superheaters and fixers,all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination, a generator, A, provided with a grate, a, and withsteam and air supply pipes communicating with said generator below thegrate thereof, and provided, also, with a hydrocarbon-supply pipeeonnnunieating with the top of the generator, superheaters or fixers 13B, each having a steamsupply pipe communicating with its upper part anda combustion-chamber in its lower part provided with an air-supply pipe,pipes O 0, connecting the co1nbustion-chambers with the space in thegenerator beneath the grate, valves in these pipes, pipesD E and D 1',with their valves, connecting the top of the generator with thecombustion-chambers of the superheaters or fixers, respectively, anexitpipe, G, from the top of the generator, having a valve, 6, and pipesH and H, leading from the top of the super-heaters and fiXers anduniting with the pipe G at a point below the valve 6, said pipes H and Hbeing provided each with a valve, all substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WVM. M. GOSH.

\Vitnesses:

H. E. LOANE, THos. KELL BRADFORD.

